One of the craziest success stories in the automotive business today is that of Dave “Heavy D” Sparks and his best friend, “Diesel Dave” Kiley. What began as a small used car lot has grown into a massive online truck marketplace (DieselSellerz.com), a custom shop (Sparks Motors) and a popular Discovery Channel TV show, Diesel Brothers. The company’s business plan is pure genius, and its custom paint shop is pure PPG.

Whether by savvy instinct or by being hell-bent on having fun, the Diesel Brothers used practical jokes, stunts, skits and custom-built monster trucks to create a loyal fan following. An April Fool’s Day escapade involving diesel exhaust piped into a men’s room caught the attention of the producers of the Jay Leno Show. The rest is history.

In 2016, the duo’s fame reached another level when the Discovery Channel launched the Diesel Brothers reality TV show. Each segment features two projects, one that is completed and the other that is used as a teaser for the following week. The projects run the gamut: One might be for a high-end collector, another for a celebrity such as Chuck Norris or Miguel Cabrera, or one just to fulfill a vision that Heavy D had while foraging in the scrapyard. The only constant is a high level of hilarity for which the show is known.

The show’s production timeline creates tremendous pressure on the crew, and the paint department is no exception. In March of 2017, Damon Heart, an autobody refinisher from Ohio, was in the Utah area on vacation and was helping a buddy— a buddy with ties to the Diesel Brothers— fix his car. A crisis arose when the Diesel Brothers painter abruptly called it quits: “The painter was given 6 hours to do something he felt he needed 12 hours to do,” says Damon. “I knew that by using EC800 (Ultra Fast 2.1 Clearcoat), I could get it done, and I did. After that, the team said, ‘You’re not going home!’” Damon sold his belongings and moved west to become part of the team.

What’s next for the Diesel Brothers? Like everything they do, the next big thing is hard to predict. But one thing is certain: It will be entertaining to watch.

You can read more on The Diesel Brothers and what Damon's go-to PPG products are by checking out the most recent copy of the Repaint Reporter.